Is The Hipster Beard Dead?

Debate: Has 2015 Marked The Death Of The Hipster Beard?

Could it be time to pack away the beard oil and break out the shaving kits? If fashion runways and celebrity award shows are any indication, we could be witness the decline of the beard boom.

The hipster beard may not be dead yet, but it may be on it's death bed.

The trend, which many agree was born in Brooklyn, has grown to a full on phenomenon, the likes of which have been in step with the huge growth in men's personal care and grooming sales. Yes, men care more about their looks than ever before. Metrosexuals have morphed into lumbersexuals. But now it appears, the beard trend may have reached its ceiling.

Part of the reason may be traced to the rise of the "yuccie" or young urban creative — an emerging group of hipster/yuppie/millennial who have moved beyond the beard as a badge of superior masculinity. In fact, here at AskMen, we surveyed over 3,000 men and found that 34% of them prefer a clean-shaved look. Just 17% said they were letting their beards grow.

We needed answers. Concrete answers. So we commissioned a panel of experts and convened in Brooklyn at Blind Barber with Rob McMillen, head barber at Blind Barber, NYC DJ Olivia Dope and model/fashion expert Joel Alexander.